Checking the Mail: Letters to the Churches in Revelation

By Gregory Mcaulay

Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.

—Revelation 1:11

Who were these churches? Who were these people? Who was saying this was to be done? Why did the Lord Jesus Christ want to send these churches a letter? What was happening in their lives that they needed to hear from Him?

Come with me and let’s turn back the pages in time. This book will explore and survey the scriptures to find answers to these questions, as well as some other historical information. All scriptures are God-breathed and are useful for instruction, conviction, correction, and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be complete and fully equipped for every good work. I explore the connections the letters have to the culture and history of the people and the times they lived in. The letters were written to them, but the same letters are written for us.

Let’s open the Word of God together and see what He has in store for us as we learn to walk in His way, growing in faith and strength as disciples equipped for every good work and word according to His purpose.

The book will take the reader on a journey - a survey of the things that were, things that are, and the things to come - that John, the beloved disciple, recorded for us. Come with us on the journey through the pages of scripture and time. Who were our brethren from long ago, whom Jesus wrote to? How and why do these letters matter to us? Come and let us see what the Lord has in store for us.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 17, 2024
• ISBN: 9798891300378

Book preview

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Checking the Mail: Letters to the Churches in Revelation

Gregory Mcaulay

ISBN 979-8-89130-036-1 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-89130-037-8 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by Gregory Mcaulay

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Why Are the Letters Important?

Chapter 2

Revelation 1

Chapter 3

The Letters and Their Outline

Chapter 4

Revelation 2:1–6

Write to the Church in Ephesus

Chapter 5

A Closer Look at Ephesus

Chapter 6

First Things First

Chapter 7

Ephesus Line Upon Line

Chapter 8

Smyrna, a Church in the Crosshairs

Chapter 9

Smyrna—a Little Context, Please

Chapter 10

Persecuted, Not Abandoned

Chapter 11

A Sweet Aroma

Chapter 11

Pergamum

If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them

Chapter 12

Pergamum Under Investigation

Chapter 13

The Good Stuff

Chapter 14

The Bad Stuff

Chapter 14

Summing Things Up

Chapter 15

Reviewing the First Three Letters

Chapter 16

Revelation 2:18–28

A Background Check of Thyatira

Chapter 17

Outlining the Letter to the Church in Thyatira

Chapter 18

Applying What Has Been Observed

Chapter 18

Revelation 3:1–6

Sardis: What's in a Name?

Chapter 19

Sardis in Historical Context

Chapter 20

The One with the Seven Spirits and Seven Stars

Chapter 21

Verses 1–3

Chapter 22

Verses 4 through 6, Line by Line

Chapter 23

Final Thoughts on the Church in Sardis

Chapter 24

Philadelphia: Faithful, Loyal, Rock, Steady

Chapter 25

The History of Ancient Philadelphia

Chapter 27

The One Who Holds the Key of David

Chapter 28

What Was So Good in the Church in Philadelphia

Chapter 29

Final Thoughts on the Philadelphia Church

Chapter 30

The Last Letter, Laodicea

Chapter 31

The History of Laodicea Gives Context

Chapter 32

Into the Text of the Letter

Chapter 33

What Was So Wrong in Laodicea?

Chapter 34

Closing Out the Letter to Laodicea

Chapter 35

The Sum of All Things

About the Author

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.

John was caught up. He was transported to the presence of the Lord. We do not know how this was done. We can only read the account that John wrote for us to study. The time was the first century, and the church was in its infancy. Our Lord was watching over His church, His beloved bride, and saw a need to send her a letter.

In this book, we will go on a journey—a survey of the things that were, that are, and the things to come—that John, the beloved disciple of our Lord, recorded for us.

Come with me on this journey through these pages and time. Who were these people our brethren from so long ago? How do these letters matter to us? Come and let us see what the Lord has in store for us.

Chapter 1

Why Are the Letters Important?

Our Lord Jesus Christ saw trouble headed for the church and issues that were arising, so wrote He seven letters to the churches in Asia Minor. His beloved disciple John was the one chosen to be the scribe and put the letters to paper, then sent them out. So what was so important? What issues did He see that Jesus took the time to write to His church? Does what He wrote to them matter concern us? Does the church today face the same trouble and issues? The letters are not very long, and they were not written to us. How can they have meaning for us?

While the letters were not written to us, they were written for us. Most of us have heard the scriptural quote from Paul, another famous verse from 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV): All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

In the last days men will be lovers of self, they will not tolerate sound doctrine—Timothy, having a special place in Paul's heart, wrote this warning to him. Timothy, Paul's beloved student, lived in Ephesus—the home of Diana and Artemis for those following along in Greek. The Romans and Greeks had the same gods just with different names, but we won't chase that rabbit here. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul recalls the sincere faith of Timothy (2 Tim. 1:5). Timothy should fan into flame the gift of God, which was first received by the laying on of hands (2 Tim. 1:6). Paul reminds Timothy to keep to the things he was taught, with faith and love in Jesus Christ, guarding the treasure that is within, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us (2 Tim. 1:13–14).

Timothy had been contending against others teaching strange doctrines (1 Tim. 1:3–4). There were men in Ephesus who taught the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. The teaching of the Nicolaitan was called out as being hated by the Lord in one of the letters He wrote (Rev. 2:6, 15). The Nicolaitans can be described as teaching the church that it was okay to continue in their old ways, libertine in their ethics and behavior. Nico means to conquer or to rule, and laita from Laos means the people; Nicolaitans means to conquer and rule over people. Men were being elevated into a position where they began to rule over the people of the church, not allowing them to be like the Bereans of Acts 17:11—searching the scriptures daily to see if what they said was true. This is not to condemn or belittle the pastors and clergy of today as there are many wonderful ministers serving the body of believers.

We must be able to rightly discern the Word of God. There was an increase in legalism in the teachings among the disciples of Ephesus. Legalism denies the sufficiency of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and adds on works required to complete the redemption from sin (1 Tim. 4:1–3). Part of the issue Timothy had to address was the elder who would rule over the believers. He was advised to reprove them in front of the other elders so they would be warned. So elders are not above reproach but do not be hasty in an accusation but have two or three witnesses (1 Tim. 5:17–21). In his second letter to Timothy, Paul charged Timothy to preach the Word, be ready in season and out, correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and careful instruction because people will no longer want to hear sound teaching but to suit their own desires. They will only listen to teachers who tell them what they want to hear. They will turn away from the truth and turn aside to myths and lies (2 Tim. 4:2–4)

Why did I start with Paul and Timothy if we are looking at the letters Jesus wrote to the churches? I'm glad you asked. Paul's instructions to Timothy give us why we study the Word of God—to show ourselves approved and to search the scriptures to know if what we are being told is true to the Word of God. An American economist once said, If you want to help others, you tell them the truth. If you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear (Thomas Sowell).

Here is Paul's warning to Timothy: For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry (2 Tim 4:3–5 ESV). We study the Word and be sober-minded. By knowing the truth, when a counterfeit is presented, we see it for what it is.

Chapter 2

Revelation 1

As we open our survey of the letters to the